Things are better when they leave–not easier, no, but better. Ash can tell. Ember has been more focused in the past few hours than he remembers seeing her in years. Eyes fixed forward on their path through the forest instead of glancing up and away. The smooth armor of her Sandshrew seems to be helping, too.
No, Ash is not jealous.
Ember laughs–soft and pleased–as her Sandshrew delicately crawls its way over her shoulder and onto her back, matching Gary and his Squirtle. She says as much, almost startling him, but after a moment’s hesitation he responds, not used to her initiating conversation.
Ash watches and listens, bittersweetly happy.
Until he gets shocked, yet again, by his Pikachu.
Okay, so maybe he is jealous. Of who, he’s not really sure. Because, yes, having a Pokemon that doesn’t also count as electrotherapy would be nice–though there’s no way he’d leave Ember saddled with this ungrateful rodent–but it’s kind of…
Ash has spent practically his whole life trying to understand his sister and, failing that, defending her from all the small-minded people of Pallet Town. But Pallet Town is his home and Ember is his twin, and it’s almost hurtful that she’s so eager and alive only hours away from Pallet Town. As if the place that he loves is something toxic to her.
“Ash?” Ember calls, glancing between her twin’s face and her twin’s unruly Pikachu, “Would you like help? Ground types are immune to electric.”
As if to showcase just how poorly he and Ash are getting along, Pikachu takes the opportunity to shock him. Yet again.
“No,” Ash grits out between his teeth, because how is he ever going to be a Pokemon Master if he can’t even handle his starter Pokemon by himself? “I’m fine.”
He is not fine.
—
If Gary is going to be honest–and he often is, to the point of being considered rude–he would admit that he thought Ember was going to be, well, dead weight on their journey. Or, at least, in need of his and Ash’s help.
Of course, he still wouldn’t have wanted to go without her–while the twins are basically a package deal, Gary is friends with her on her own merits–but he didn’t think she’d be as helpful as she’s turned out to be.
He knew she was smart–he always tried, and failed, to beat her on tests–but that never seemed to translate to the real world before. She knows how to navigate through the forest, how to avoid webs and other byproducts of wild Pokemon, how to function without her brother holding her hand.
It’s as if she’s an entirely different person.
—
Once Ember gets her Sandshrew, its as if something in her mind just snaps into place. While part of it is thanks to the adorable and possibly literal grounding force that is her starter Pokemon, most of it is simply a change in perspective.
Being stuck in Pallet Town for the past ten years was nothing short of absolute monotony. Like reliving all the most boring parts of your life without knowing why or how to get out of this cycle.
Now though? She’s a Pokemon trainer. For real.
She has played this game before. Literally. Multiple times. And it never gets old.
Suddenly it’s as if everything is clear–she’s not some extra gear in a clock, or a puppet trapped in a script. She may not be the protagonist, but she wouldn’t want to be–Ash can have the fate of the world on his shoulders–she has agency, she’s a player now.
There’s no way she’s going to give this up.
~
A/N: Here’s some more of yesterday’s Pokemon SI!OC I guess… I don’t really know where I’m going with this so… ?
JackSGreyson Says 